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Mom's Tree

Hiking with my West Shore Community College advanced photography students, I spot trilliums in the woodland along the Pere Marquette River. Trilliums are simple in color and design, yet their simplicity is what makes them beautiful. F10.0 at 1/125, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

Lillies collecting rain on a summer evening catch my eye in a Pentwater garden. The flowers have caught some sun as well, making them stand out even more. Often I like to feature one flower over the other through vantage point and selective focus, but I am thinking this is a pair that complement each other perfectly and they should therefore receive equal attention.

I need look no further than the end of my street at Crosswinds in Ludington to be shocked by the brightness of these flowers. I decide to make one of them stand out by getting very close to it and choosing a shallow depth of field that will put only it in focus. My intent is to keep the focus of attention on the foreground flower.

Summer Is Here

Sunflower Power

It is good to be home. Maui was beautiful, but I still don't think the beaches there hold a candle to our beaches in West Michigan. Our flowers are just as beautiful too. I realized that I take our natural beauty for granted. This tulip in my front yard helps remind me of how blessed I am to live in Ludington. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I lay on my stomach, trying to get the composition I was searching for. Tulips are one of my favorite spring flowers. The lady who owned our home prior to us, planted many around the yard. I love watching them bloom.

Lilacs send me back in time to the backyards of my grandparents and parents. I wanted to make this picture look like a nostalgic dream of times past so I placed the camera on a tripod and zoomed the lens during the exposure. F20.0 at 1.6, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 80 mm

This is the first spring in my new house and yard. Every few days it is a new surprise what kind of plants and flowers will bloom. Today these beautiful little flowers appeared at the base of one of the huge oak trees next to my house.

Wild Days Ahead

One of the beautiful signs of spring is the emergence of the marsh marigolds along the Pere Marquette River. Did these beauties appear overnight or did I fail to see them yesterday? How often do we overlook the natural beauty that is right there to behold? Too often, I think. I am trying to slow down more these days to allow more time to see what there is to see. In Michigan, beauty is all around us; I never tire of looking for it. F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 105mm lens at 105mm

During a walk with grandchildren Rachel, Ty, and Austin near their Waterford home, we take time to appreciate the tulips planted in a neighbor's garden. F4.5 at 1/200, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm

I love the ditch by my mailbox in the springtime. It is covered in yellow mustard weed and is a striking sight. I carefully made this image, showcasing one perfect stalk.

Rachel and I went for a ride today looking for photos. We headed towards Stony Lake to check that area out. Not finding anything to photograph at the lake, we headed south towards one of our favorite places to see trillium. Sure enough, the forest was full of them. After asking permission of the landowners, Rachel and I walked the property looking for standout flowers

It is always fun shooting with others. Even though we might be a short distance from each other, we compose very unique images. Brad and I drove to Stony Lake today. We spent a good portion of the afternoon exploring woods of trilliums. The landowners are very generous to allow us to photograph these delicate flowers.

The raindrops glistened in the light rain today along Grand River Avenue at one of the many busy entrances to the majestic campus of Michigan State University. I worked hard to micro-compose this photograph so "Class of 1938" was legible. F10 at 1/400, ISO 800, 18-50mm lens at 18mm

When I spotted my American Flag fluttering in the breeze as I look to make a picture of these blossoms, I know I have found my 365 picture of the day. It occurs to me that the beauty of America is one of the reasons so many American veterans have been willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to defend her. F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Growing up, some of my best memories are in the orchard at our family farm. Whether it was picking apples, playing baseball, or swinging on the tire swing, there was always activity amongst the apple trees. Joshua loves to climb this tree in my backyard, and while watching him one day, I noticed this specific clump of apple blossoms. I knew I had found my photo of the day.

I am 17 minutes late for pizza with the grandkids but I just have to make a picture of these petals in my driveway that had come down with the rain. It takes a few minutes to zero in on the best composition but I think I have it now. Click. F16.0 at 0.6, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm